AAII's Guide to Top Web Sites

Social Media & Networking

Social media and networking sites are based on user participation and user-generated content. These sites allow users to exchange opinions, insights, experiences and perspectives with each other about individual securities, investment practices, etc. Social media can take many different forms, including Internet forums or message boards, weblogs (blogs), wikis (user-driven information centers) and podcasts.

Registered users can post predictions of stock performance relative to the S&P 500 over a specified time period. As stock prices change, the site evaluates player predictions. Over time, players receive an accuracy percentage based on how often they make correct predictions. In addition, based on the performance of their picks, players receive a percentile rating indicating the percentage of players they are outperforming. Stocks also receive ratings, which are aggregations of every player prediction for that stock, indicating whether or not players think the stock will outperform the S&P 500. Players with higher ratings have more influence on stock ratings. CAPS screener allows users to screen for stocks with varying CAPS ratings as well as on financial data elements. Though there are competitive websites, CAPS remains the most popular of its kind.

An aggregator of articles and blog posts. Topics range from individual stocks and ETFs to income investing to market and economic analysis. Some articles can draw multiple comments with conversations forming between readers themselves. Free registration allows for customized email alerts of new commentary regarding specific stocks.

A twitter-based website with users discussing securities and strategies. Streams can be set up to monitor specific stocks, ETFs and futures. Heatmap and Social Signals tools highlight which sectors and stocks are being discussed the most. Website asks for registration, but streams can be called up by merely entering a ticker symbol into the search box.

The American Association of Individual Investors is an independent, nonprofit corporation formed for the purpose of assisting individuals in becoming effective managers of their own assets through programs of education, information and research.